Collector system for pirns



Oct. 23, 1956 K. FORKEL COLLECTOR SYSTEM FOR PIRNS Filed Jan. 29,1952

0 F m 7 g Q 6 eh n F o 0 00 0 I o 0 lfioif 0 5 United States Patent2,767,536 COLLECTOR SYSTEM FOR PIRNS Karl Forkel, Beuel, Germany,assiguor to Schweiter Ltd., Horgen, Switzerland, a corporation ofSwitzerland Application January 29, 1952, Serial No. 268,872

This invention relates to a collector system for elongated articles asused, for example, in weft winding machines having a conveyorarrangement to remove the wound p It is one of the primary objects ofthe invention to provide means affording the transfer of pirns insubstantially parallel and aligned positions with respect to each otherto a collector receptacle, whereby such collector system may be eitherbuilt onto existing weft winding machines or may be readily incorporatedin new winding machines so that the removal of the weft pirns isautomatically achieved and the receptacle is charged with said pirnswhile the same remain in aligned and parallel positions with respect toeach other. 7

It is another object of the present invention to provide meansfacilitating the supply of pirns and like elongated articles fromconveyor means to collector means in a substantially orderly andpredetermined fashion, whereby said pirns are supplied to or dischargedinto a collector receptacle gradually while their aligned positions aresubstantially maintained.

It has hitherto been usual to charge the elongated articles or weftpirns into a container by hand, or to allow them to fall down aninclined chute or a distributing hopper into a box. Falling freely, thepirns do not always align themselves parallel to one another, with theresult that they have to he repositioned, or aligned, by hand. Aparticularly serious disadvantage, however, resides in the fact thatowing to the impact of the pirn on falling the strength and thearrangement of the layers of yarn, especially in yarns of fine count,are adversely affected.

The drawbacks just referred to are eliminated by the present inventionwhich renders the possibility of transferring a supply of pirns inparallel relation to each other along a conveyor arrangement from whichsaid pirns are further moved onto a collector band reaching into acollector receptacle, whose top end is substantially level with saidconveyor arrangement, said collector 'band under the influence andweight of said weft pirns receding into said receptacle withoutsubstantially disturbing the parallel and aligned relationship betweenthe pirns thus discharged into the receptacle.

The collector band is preferably operatively connected to a brake rollerfor releasing said collector band step by step into said receptacle,whereby the collector band is partly wound around said roller and thebraking or drag power of the latter is so calculated that the retractionof the band into the container under the weight of the weft pirns takesplace gradually, so that the pirns, unable to fall indiscriminately,retain their parallel alignment.

The drawing shows diagrammatically a typical embodiment of theinvention, in which drawing:

Fig. 1 is a lateral elevation of the invention showing only theessential parts;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the receptacle or container taking theform of a packing bag in its suspension device.

A conveyor band 1, which expediently extends throughout the length ofthe weft winding machine (not shown), is driven in the direction of thearrows by a drive motor or by the main drive shaft of the machinethrough the intermediary of a wormwheel transmission gear (not shown),and conveys the elongated articles or pirns 2, as they arrive, in theleftward direction to the packing arrangement (Fig. 1). The parallelingdevice consists of a press-plate 4, adjustable for height andspring-mounted, is disposed in the path of the pirns, the reception endof which press-plate is slightly upturned and which pressplateencompasses the exact aligning of the weft pirns transversally to thelengthwise axis of the conveyor arrangement. Adjustment of the height ofthe press-plate 4 is effected by means of screws 3.

The weft pirns are then impelled into a flat channel consisting of anintermediate plate 5 and an upper mem ber 5a. The thrust of the furtherweft pirns as they arrive impels forward those lying in front of them,which therefore pass on to a collector band 7 which is of a widthapproximately equal to the length of the weft pirns and, under theweight of the pirns, slowly recedes into the packing bag 12. The band isprovided with eyelets which are slipped on to holding pegs 9 a guideroller 6 on to a braked roller 8 on to which it is preferably partlywound. I

The band or collector element 7 is provided with three portions, ofwhich one portion extends into the path of the aligning or parallelingmeans 35, a second portion reaches into the receptacle or bag 12 and athird portion is engaged by releasing means 10, which includes a brakeroller 8.

The braking and release arrangement, which f0 erab-le means and mayconsist of a friction brake 10 and a loading weight 11, is so balancedthat the subsidence of the band takes place gradually.

Designated by the numeral 13 is a flap which is kept open until thecontainer is full. In order to avoid interruption of the operation ofthe weft winding machine from the moment of removal of the receptacleuntil the fitting of a new, empty receptacle, the flap 13 can be swungdownwards into the position shown by the broken line, with the resultthat the weft pirns, as they arrive, will accumulate until the flap 13is opened again.

When the bag 12 is full, the collecting band 7 is detached from the pegs9 and '9a, and the bag itself, which is suspended by lateral flaps fromthe pegs 16 of the packing device, is detached and wheeled out of thepacking device by means of a trolley plate 15 travelling on rails 14.

The trolley arrangement 14, 15 is important because it enables thepersonnel tending the weft winding machine, which personnel generallyconsists of one woman, to remove the packing bag, which may weighanything up to about lbs., unaided, and to suspend a new packing bag inits place, without interrupting the running o f the machine. The packedbags can then be sewn up or made ready for transport in some other way.

Although in the embodiment illustrated the receptacle is shown as apacking bag, it is obvious that the invent-ive device can, withoutmodification, be used in conjunction with other receptacles orcontainers, such as wooden cases, sheet metal bins, or the like.

In general it will be understood that my invention is not limited msopframe, means for removably supporting said receptacle on said framewhen the/former has been filled with pirns,

means aligningsaidpirns inparallel,- relationnext'to 1 each other andarranged substantially level with said top end of said receptacle,movably disposed collector band means arranged-withone-portion extendinginto the'path of said aligning meanscand with another portion-extendinginto said receptacle for maintaining said-pirns transversely to thelongitudinal axis of said collector band fileansyand meanspos'itionedadjacent said aligning means and operatively connected tosaid one portion of said collector band means and guiding the latterpast said aligning means and for releasing said collector band meansover thetop end ofsaid receptacle gradually toward the interior of thesame in such manner, so that said pirns when coming from said aligningmeans are moved into said receptacle substantially undisturbed withrespect to their aligned relation to each other.

2. Inta collector systemfor pirns and like elongated articles;thecombination of a receptacle having a top end, into which'said pirnsare to be discharged, at supporting frame,,means for removablysupporting said receptacle on saidframe when the former has been filledwith pirns, means aligning said pirns in parallel relation next to eachotherandarranged substantially level wtih the top end of saidreceptacle, movably disposed collector means having three portions, oneportion extending into the path of said aligning means, the secondportion extending into said receptacle for maintaining said pirnstransversely to the longitudinal axis of said collector means, andoperable means positioned adjacent said aligning means and operativelyconnected to the third portion of said collector means and guiding thelatter past said aligning means and releasing said second portion ofsaid collector means gradually toward the interior of said receptacle,so that said pirns when coming from said aligning means are moved intosaid receptacle substantially undisturbed with respect to their alignedrelation to each other.

3. In a collector system according to claim 2, said aligning meansincluding a spring-supported press plate, and conveyor means arrangedopposite said press plate therebelow, whereby said pirns will bedisplaced by said conveyonmeansand arealigned between it and saidpressplate.

4. In a collector system according to claim 3, said aligning meansfurther including substantially horizontal channel means through whichsaid pirns are guided for engagement with said one portion of saidcollector means.

5. In a collector systemaccording to claim 2, said operable meansincluding a balanced roller with counterweight, andinterengageablemeans, respectively, on said roller and on said collector means forcontrolling gradual release of said second portion of said collectormeans into said receptacle.

-6. In acollector system according to claim 2, said aligning meansincluding conveyor means, plate means overlying a part of said conveyormeans, whereby pirns freely transported by said conveyor means arebrought into aligned position by said plate means, and channel meansthrough which said pirns are guided in side-byside relation andsubstantially parallel to each other, said channel means extending fromsaid conveyor means to said other portion of said collector means fordirect discharge of saidpirns thereon.

7. In a collector system according to claim 6, said plate means beingspaced from said conveyor means, the entrance to the space between saidplate means and part of said conveyor means being greater in width thanthe diameter of a pirn.

8. In a system according to claim 7,including a flap pivotally supportedby said plate means adjacent said entrance, whereby said entrance forsaid pirns to said space between said plate means and said conveyormeans may be opened andclosed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,726,139 Blasco et al Aug. 27, 1929 2,359,367 Kerr-Lawson Oct. 3, 19442,449,395 Lakso Sept. 14, 1948

